Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the Guin's! 

After we exchanged Easter baskets and Sam went on his special egg hunt (each egg had a note inside of a reason why I loved him) we went to church and spent the day with family.

As I have been adjusting to the Methodist faith (I was raised Southern Baptist) there is one thing that this particular Methodist church does that I LOVE - the flowering of the cross. Every Easter the children in the congregation bring flowers from home and when they are called down for children's church, they bring their flowers and put them in this cross that is lying on the floor. When they are finished, they stand it up and present it to the congregation -- it is BEAUTIFUL. Today when Mark was talking about it, the sun literally started streaming sooo bright through the top of the church that it illuminated the cross. It was a God moment. I hope people notice. The presence of the Lord was definitely in that place today.

Here's a picture of the cross from the balcony -- I got a close up one but it's blurry:

Hope you had a blessed Easter, too!

Mark 16:1-8 "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' " Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." (NIV)

Sew Cute: Easter Baskets

My SIL Sarah found these cuuute basket liners on Etsy and asked me if I thought I could replicate them. I could at least try - so I made one for myself on a small basket first that is on our kitchen table.

Then I tackled the boys baskets and made matching shirts out of the scraps. I finished them two days before Easter (hey, at least they were finished in time!!). That new job took up a lot of my sewing time I used to have. ;)

Aren't they cuuuute? Sarah picked out the pattern (which, I love and not gonna lie, reminds me of Tory Burch), ribbon design, and thread color. I think it looks great together! And to her point, they aren't "Eastery" so she can use them out in their rooms year-round -- oh yeah, and it matches their room decor. Brilliant, sis!

Maybe the next basket liner I get to make in the future for her will have some pink in it and we can put some lace on it and girl-it-up! :) But if it's another boy basket, I will still make it cute. :)

She Cooks: Sorta Spicy Chicken Veggie Pasta

Sam and I are *trying* to eat healthier. I found this recipe originally on Pinterest and added a few things (chicken, zucchini), took out a few things (carrots), to make it an "original". We ate it last night and it was really good, not too spicy, and VERY filling. One plate was enough for Sam and we had enough leftovers for both of us.

Yield: Makes 4 large servings or 6 servings (a side would be needed - keep it healthy, don't pick bread)

Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into small chunks
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked (we grilled them)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz package) Sargento Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. breadcrumbs (optional)

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Set a medium pot of salted water to boil. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and coating with a little olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.

Toss broccoli, red pepper, and zucchini on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Remove from oven and set aside.

Once water is boiling, lower heat slightly and add pasta, cooking according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil (slowly) in a large (deep) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and cook 30 seconds. DON'T SCORCH YOUR GARLIC. Whisk in flour and cook one minute. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese until well distributed and melted. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add pasta, vegetables, and grilled chicken. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and serve.

Enjoy! :)

One Day Room Addition

Today we added/finished (almost) our outdoor room!

I told you about how we found the perfect furniture for our patio... well we also had picked out a beautiful matching pergola to go with it. We couldn't find one of those on Craigslist so we actually had to buy it from Lowe's. I picked it up last night and today after Sam got home from work, he put it together. I helped a little, but he really did about 90% of it. He did a GREAT job!

There pergola came in a box with directions BUT Sam did extra research and read the reviews about the best way to put it together -- he added 4x4's in the posts and anchored it with screws to concrete pads (not our existing stone patio)

It also has this great "shade" and in this picture we left it even, but have since pulled it down on the side you see in this picture -- it is GREAT privacy, especially since we haven't purchased trees to put along the fence line. 

Sam picked out the lights at Target -- I was shocked because usually he goes for something more metal-y BUT I told him these looked like little crystal grenades. And he liked them even more. We debated on four strands but after being out there tonight, three is perfect.

I am soooo excited about having our new outdoor living space! It's beautiful, functional, and private! It will be great on sunny days and also really nice during the evenings.

Up next: Replant the bed you look at while sitting on the outdoor couch and find cute outdoor accessories for the table. (The lantern pictured was borrowed from the front porch)

Time flies

...when you are unemployed.

After my previous position at SunTrust was eliminated, I knew I would go on to something bigger and better. I didn't know where that would be, and to be honest, I was nervous. Yes, I got an 8-week severance, but what if I didn't get a job after 8 weeks? What was I going to do at home all that time? How was I going to keep from getting depressed from not having a job {because I realized my old job was way too much of my identity}?

And all that time it was a big 'ole test of faith. Another link in my TESTimony. There was no reason to worry, God has a plan (I knew that) but I kept saying, "sometimes we just wish we knew what it was!"

Well I found out on Monday.

Last Thursday I was officially offered the position of Marketing Manager for a large surgical practice. To be honest, I didn't think it was a good fit for two reasons. But after attempting to decline the position with the HR lady, I got roped into another meeting with her and the CEO on Monday.

When Monday rolled around I went to Erlanger to meet with them. I wasn't nervous at all and had a sense of peace and calmness. I also had a list of 25 questions. :) We worked through my list and they answered those plus more, and made it very clear they wanted me and after talking with them that day, I walked away very sure of what my decision was (but had to pray {more} about it and talk it over with Sam that afternoon).

So after Sam finally got home to drive to Nashville for school, we discussed it, and I called the HR lady and my new boss (the Practice CEO) to confirm that I did want to join their team.

I have never been this excited about a job. It feels so good to have a company that can't wait for you to start, tells you that they desperately want you, values what you do and the talents that you have, and makes sure that you have the tools that you need to succeed. 

PRAISE BE TO GOD. I am truly blessed and can't wait to start this new adventure on Monday, March 25th.

She Cooks: Homemade Sour Patch Grapes

I originally saw this on Pinterest and pinned it because Sam and I both LOVE Sour Patch Kids. But as well all know, they aren't the most healthy snack, so I was excited to try this recipe and try it out on Sam.

The verdict: He loved it and so did I! This is a great snack that is easy to prepare with quick clean up, and great to take for a summer event or to keep in your fridge as a healthy snack option.

Ingredients:
3 sandwich bags
1 package watermelon Jello
1 package lemon Jello
1 bag of green grapes

Open packages of Jello and pour half of watermelon Jello into one sandwich bag, half of the lemon into one sandwich bag, and then pour the remaining halves into one sandwich bag together.

Wash grapes and set on a paper towel. Pull grapes off stems and drop into sandwich bags. Seal bags and shake to coat the grapes.

Open bag and remove grapes - store in rubbermaid container in refrigerator for one hour (at least).

Then enjoy!

Craigslist for the Win: Patio Furniture!

Sam and I have been discussing updating our backyard. We have thrown around the idea of a deck, new patio, sectional furniture and then I lost my job, so that took a backseat.

Well last night Sam was looking online at patio furniture on Lowes.com and saw a few sets he liked. I mentioned to him that we should check Craigslist.com. He said something along the lines of he didn't want someone else's "used crap" but he looked on craigslist.com anyway and low and behold we found the SAME set from Lowes.com being sold in Appison:

The Lowe's price for this lovely set is $1,198 plus tax = $1,308.82. For patio furniture. This stuff is OUTRAGEOUS and I am not sure we could've/would've paid that at any point anyway. That is INSANE. 

So Sam texted the guy last night in the ad and we drove to Appison and met the really nice couple who are expecting a baby girl in September and needed the money to buy a crib. And it was only $650. 

That's 50.4% off. That is muuuuch better :)  {Did you see me my math skills there? Sam had to help me.}

And to make it even better,  the set had been inside, then moved recently to a covered porch and covered with blankets. It is pretty much brand new, with the manuals, screw covers, and the tags are still hanging on it:

That's me enjoying it in the lovely 40 degree weather -- warm weather, come back!

So blessed to find such a good and totally unexpected deal on AWESOME patio furniture that we were already looking at online! We are looking forward to planting some trees in the backyard for privacy and enjoying this patio set on the upcoming spring and summer evenings! :)

Wedding Invite Design

While I have had some extra free time lately, I have picked up a few projects. Check out this GORGEOUS invitation for an upcoming wedding I am coordinating:

Now props to the Bride-to-be for finding this design -- she found a beautiful invite on Pinterest and then we used a different font and put our own twist on it, but these invites are to-die-for (and I am not a fan of brown AT ALL) and match her theme perfectly.

I didn't include a picture of the RSVP cards, but they are off-white as well with the matching font and brown color.

It's so natural but elegant. I love seeing a finished design in it's full glory and completed form with the beautiful details (especially lace)!

Project Life: 2013

Kristy (that leads the high school girls small group with me) has gotten me hooked a new addiction: Project Life. Here's a short video on what exactly it is.

Basically it's scrapbooking without the mess, the expensive embellishments, major time commitment, and it's EASY. And pretty.

What's even more awesome about it is that it's not super time consuming AND if you have graphic design background, you can make your own cards to go in the pages!

So I ordered the Seafoam Green kit thinking I would scrapbook "Our first married year" (anniversary in a month and a half BTW) and decided  would just start with 2013 and do one annually. I had the old blog to remember our first married year and pre-marriage.

This is out of the box condition :) {Seafoam Edition} And Zoe.  These "editions" mean the color you pick -- so the binder color coordinates with the core kit. You don't HAVE to do it this way, but if you are OCD like I am, you get everything that matches.

Pictured: Seafoam 12x12 binder, insert pages (more like sleeves), and Project Life Core Kit.

Closeup on the PL Core Kit:

Core Kit is really a box of cards that go in the sleeves. You write memories on them (short), things you don't want to forget, or integrate them in as part of your full design.

And here is my first page (no pictures, yet):

I are really excited to get started. I have a lot of things I want to include from January-March, and need to go ahead and start printing pictures. Another neat thing about PL is that they encourage you to print pictures weekly and have them mailed to you, so you can just stick them in your binder. You can even get rounded edges like the PL core kit cards.

And as with most things, you can find other products with these cards that are seasonal-themed, free printables on Pinterest, or make your own!

I am suuuper excited about this ongoing project and hoping that I can hang in there with it. I know one day I will be glad to look back and remember the little things. To help hold me accountable, I will be posting updates biweekly (maybe weekly? I don't want to be too ambitious) with some of my layouts.

So are you excited and ready to get hooked? Buy it now and let's start documenting life better than we have been. :) 

Graceful

Since Sam has transitioned out of the youth program as Assistant Director to go to law school, I have been missing those kids like crazy! It was nice in the beginning to have Wednesdays and Sundays back, but, after a little break, and after seeing lots of kiddos in church that kept saying, "When are you coming backkkk?? Ughhhh!!!" and after much prayer, I decided to go talk to the new youth director about getting involved again.

God makes divine appointments.

The day I talked to Rebekah, I left with a book that another girl had pitched to her about studying with the girls but didn't want to do it alone. Fast forward a month later and we three are eating lunch and discussing what this study should look like, when it should be, who should come, etc. And here's what we got:

Every Wednesday, Kristy and I facilitate the discussion of Emily Freeman's book, Graceful. We meet at my house and it's awesome. Kristy and Rebekah got the books and Kristy made bookmarks with our contact info and schedule on it! Genius!

Our first meeting we made bracelets to remind us that this group is the "circle of trust" and that what is mentioned in the group stays there. I hope that the bracelets really do remind them :) The next weeks we have been following the leader guide that is on Emily's website and we discuss two chapters a week.

I absolutely love this book, Kristy, and the girls. I am so thankful for this weekly gathering of Godly girls and they have no clue how much they mean to me. And what's really neat is that even though this book is written for 14-18 year olds, it really hits home with me in a lot of the chapters. More on that in a later post, though. :)

How has God been blessing you lately?

A Different Egg Hunt & Easter Decor

Easter is quickly approaching this year! For some reason I was thinking it was in April, but it's actually in about two weeks! So I had to get my specialty holiday fun rear in gear and get this house "springified!

Today I was working on a basket liner (scroll down for the rest on that) and I came up with this great Eastery way to have fun and encourage my husband! Hide your Easter eggs like you always do -- but change it up a little bit. Instead of putting candy in every egg, I am going to put something that I love the most about Sam in each egg written on pretty scrapbook paper. Of course I will still get some candy, but I think he will like the sweet notes even better than the sweet treats!

To help get us in the Spring and Easter spirit (besides the beautiful sunshine!!!) I switched the pine cones out of the giant apothecary jars and replaced the with eggs (that match our painting! It really pops with those bright colors beside it!)

AND I made this super cute basket liner for the basket on our table! 

Sarah sent me a link to one on Etsy and asked if I could make them so I experimented with this tiny basket for our table. I am going to make a bigger version for my parents and then make my sweet nephews one, too! The boy's (how fun is THAT to say!) will have their names on them though instead of 'Hoppy Easter' :)

Super excited about Spring, and of course, Easter. I think we might color some real eggs, too! 

Sewing Room: Closet Redo

Our Guest Room has actually become the "sewing room/Vanessa's office" with this work transition.

My "office" was actually in the closet with a table and kept the room pretty clean and clutter free, but now that I will be working in my "office" a lot more, I didn't feel like sitting in a closet all day, so I moved it out on to the empty wall where the ironing board usually lives (you can see the very edge of my workspace on the left):

Yes, that is an Elphaba doll next to my sewing machine :) And no, I haven't made curtains for this room yet. That's on the to-do list.

So after I moved my office out of the closet that left a huge gapping hole to pile junk into. I then made an even bigger mess and re-organized the chest of drawers, under bed storage, and sewing cabinet, and made my ultimate cute craft closet. The shelving unit was on sale at Target (Thank you, Lord!) and the wire baskets came form there too -- they hold scraps and trim. I also have a light on the ceiling and a small stacked bubble lamp and a bulletin board in there. A lot of the "decor" is from my office and will go to my new job.

I am suuuper thrilled with the results and very thankful for the extra (and organized!) storage space. The covered boxes keep patterns, yarn, and extra blanks together, and I am in love with the cubbies with the fabric folded and facing out. The small shelf in the corner is great to store things in the back I don't use a lot (like books I can't part with) and the outer corners are great for things I use often like the camera and iron.

I think what I love most about this closet is that it reminds me of my closet I grew up with when my family lived in Athens, Tennessee. I had the mac daddy of all walk in closets and had "cubbies" that fit laundry baskets. My Mom and Dad are geniuses and it was the coolest closet EVER. I think this new craft closet is a much smaller (and more organized) version and it reminds of being a kid, and inspires me to create as an adult, and I love it. 

Mirror, Mirror

The half bathroom in our house is my bathroom -- meaning it's where I get ready and keep my curlers, make up, nail polish, all the junk that goes along with being a girl so that Sam can keep the full bath clean. We have been told that separate bathrooms save marriages and after living with someone now, I can see why they would say that (especially if one person is tidier than the other who is always in a rush and leaves things out).

So the half bath has been through some transformations (I will eventually dig out the old pictures of when it was colonial blue when Sam bought the house), but the most recent transformation was inexpensive (yay!) and made a BIG difference (bigger yay!).

It was a new mirror. The bathroom is tricky because the wall the mirror is one is only 22" wide because it's kinda in an alcove. So it's really hard to find mirrors to fit that space that are "pretty". Lowe's had some that were just a few inches wider but we didn't want to break the frame off, and they were $100+ so that was out of the question. We like the look for less. The original white mirror looked great when there was a white pedestal sink under it, but after Sam put in the vanity, I decided I was going to paint it, or try to find one that matched the vanity.

Yesterday I was at Hobby Lobby with my friend helping her pick out baby blanket materials and it was POURING. So we decided to kill time in HL before getting lunch. We wandered over to the mirrors and there it was. A beautifully framed, oval mirror, in black with brown brushed look, right next to those glorious 50% off signs. I looked at the measurements and it was 21" wide. A miracle, for sure. So I bought it. for $35. Yes people, Hobby Lobby is amazing.

This morning Sam got wire on his way home from work, and hung it for me after breakfast. Check out the transformation (sorry, iPhone pics):



I feel like the pictures don't really do it justice -- it just looks so finished, fancy, and elegant now! It's amazing what a difference a matching (and inexpensive) mirror can make!

And what happened to the old mirror? It found a new home in the dressing room! :)

So blessed to find such a great bargain when I wasn't really looking for it! :)

Sew Cute: Custom Onesies!

Sewing is one of my favorite things to do. I sew curtains, bags, clothes, house stuff, geeky stuff, anything! I have been sewing since I was probably 8 years old -- my Mom and Grandmother both sew, too, so I get it honest I guess. When I was a kid I used to make vests to wear to school and that's how my mom started teaching me to sew. Then I progressed to purses in middle school, that I sold to my friends for $10. :)

Lately, I have been making SUPER cute custom onesies for all of my friends that are having babies!! This is a good outlet for me because I can make cute things for their babies, love on their babies, but not have to have one of my own right now... ;)





These were for my new nephew, Miller! There are two ties (sock monkey one is my FAVE), an initial M (in chevron and sock monkey), and an embroidered and monogrammed initial M! Sarah said he needed long sleeve onesies so Aunt Nessa made some! Or customized them, really.

I also made matching "lil bro" and "big bro" shirts buuuut having some issues with the insides of the o's on "bro" so eventually I will finish those (they are in the chevron).

And I also made this Lily Pulitzer-inspired onesie was for my sweet friend Liz and her new baby girl, Claire!



I have to admit, I have more pink in my fabric stockpile than "boy stuff" so I had to go buy the chevron and sock monkey... but I love opening my drawer and seeing it! The prints are so cute! :)

Next up on the sewing table is organize the closet first! Then laundry room curtains and another office curtain for Sam. I am very thankful to have this time at home to work on these projects I would have otherwise had to make time in a too-tight-schedule to do.

Still adjusting to this new life, but definitely still blessed!

While I'm Waiting

New blog, new header, new name & address, new everything! (New background in progress)

This is reflective of my actual life right now. I am transitioning into the "looking for a new job" phase of life. A new phase. When I found out my old job was being eliminated, I panicked. But now that it's here and it's Sunday night and I don't have to go to work tomorrow, I am thankful. 

This is a time in my life to relax, rest, get better. Do things at home that I haven't had time to (more laundry, more curtains), spend more time with my precious husband and family, and get back to basics and pick up some freelance work. This is an opportunity, while I am waiting, to grow closer to the Lord during this season, and to share that with others. 

I told Sam tonight that I was going to pick up so much freelance work and be such a happy stress-less person (aka the old Vanessa), that he wouldn't want me to go back to "real work".

I was only partly joking. :) Who knows, maybe I am supposed to freelance for the rest of my time, or maybe I am supposed to take another corporate job.

Whatever I am supposed to do, I am not going to worry about it. I am trusting in God's plan, His perfect timing, and blooming where I am planted.

Right here. Working from home. Happy.

And that song from Fireproof keeps playing in my head - "While I'm waiting, I will serve You..."